Page 4 of Unexpected Heroine

After kissing my forehead, he bends to level his face with mine and wipes my cheeks dry with his thumbs. “We need to go upstairs now so I can return my weapons. It’ll be quick. Then I’ll take you home and clean you up. I’m gonna fix it, Lettie baby. I’ll fix everything. I’ll take care of you. I promise it’s all going to be fine. I swear.”

I want to tell him there’s nothing to fix, but that’s a lie. There are pieces of me that are truly broken, and I’m not sure they’ll ever be repaired.

I also want to tell him he can’t fix this, but I don’t want to dash his hopes. Now, more than ever, I understand how important hope can be.

Instead, I simply nod, allowing him to cling to the idea that he can make any of this better.

I’ll cling to it too.

He kisses my forehead again, letting his warm, soft lips linger. All too soon, he guides me out of the locker room.

Once we’re in the hallway, he offers to carry me again. I decline, needing to stand on my own two feet. As much as I crave his comfort, I don’t want to appear broken to the strangers who saved me tonight.

Even if I am, they don’t need to see it.

When we get into the elevator, James pushes me to the front corner, standing in a protective posture between the others and me. I peek around him, noticing a pretty redhead. The man beside her stands close, his hand resting around her waist. They share a look that makes my cheeks warm.

I glance up at James, who is as stoic as ever. With his eyes cast straight ahead, the only outward sign of his emotions is a tic in his jaw.

What he must have gone through these last few days.

He must sense me looking up at him, because his stone-faced stare finally breaks, slinking down to mine. The skin above the bridge of his nose crinkles. We stay locked in each other’s gazes until the elevator slows.

The redhead shuffles her feet, catching my attention. I meet her friendly green eyes, offering a tip of my chin. It’s the best I can manage.

James points his head at her subtly. “That’s Mia. We wouldn’t have found you without her help.”

My tongue feels heavy in my mouth. I want to thank her, but I can’t find the words, so my jaw just hangs as I stare.

Dumbstruck as a newborn giraffe hitting the ground from six feet high.

Hell, I should thank all of them. Hugs and high fives all around while I spew a litany of gratitude on them. They deserve it. And I am grateful, all the way down to my marrow. For me and the others they saved.

But I can’t muster anything other than a teary-eyed nod in her direction.

When the elevator doors open, her mouth turns down at the corners in a soft pout.

“It’s okay, Violet. You don’t have to say anything,” Mia whispers. “I know you’re overwhelmed. You’ve been through a lot. But you’re going to be okay.”

A bucket load of guilt fills my chest. How could I ever have unkind thoughts about her? I’m such a fool.

We exit the elevator and swiftly make our way down a long hallway with offices lining both sides. I attempt to take inventory of my surroundings, but all I can concentrate on is the soft padding of footsteps and the feel of a familiar hand holding mine.

My vision fades in and out. Occasionally, a barrage of chills dances along my spine, causing a full-body shudder. More of that adrenaline crash, I suppose. Or not. How would I know?

It’s quiet in the office as we march along. All the while, I keep my grip clamped tightly on James, sometimes grasping him with both hands. His steady presence guides me even when my eyesight clouds over.

For a fleeting moment, it dawns on me that I’m likely walking through James’s office. Mia is his coworker, and she’s here. And James had a locker in this building.

Yeah. This must be where he works.

It’s a place I’ve been curious about before, but now, all I want is to leave.

The entire brigade stops at a closed set of double doors. James and I are at the front of the group.

He swipes his badge and puts his thumb on the sensor to unlock the door. And then he pulls me in with him, keeping me close.

Upon entering, it seems to be a storage room of sorts. But not for office supplies.

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